1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to latches for enclosures such as cabinets or drawers, and more particularly to latches that are intended to prevent injury to children.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many types of safety latches for securing drawers and doors. A common type of latch is one which permits only partial opening of a drawer unless the latch is released so as to permit a complete opening. This type of latch is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,850,463, 3,879,072, 3,889,992, 3,971,237, 4,139,249, 4,378,948, 4,416,477, and 3,918,752.
The safety latches of the prior art include a hook flexibly attached to the movable member of the closure (the door or drawer) and a stop attached to the closure housing (the door frame or drawer frame). These latches prevent the door or drawer from being fully opened unless the hook attachment is disengaged from the stop. The purpose the latches of the prior art is to prevent a child from opening a drawer or door completely and thereby accessing the contents stored within.
A problem that the prior art does not address is the reclosure of the drawer or door from a partially open position. This leads to the dangerous situation whereby a child partially opens a drawer or door, and then recloses it on his or her fingers.